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 Drug Name
Amoxil (Amoxicillin)
Drug Uses
Amoxil is used to treat infections due to organisms that are susceptible to the effects of amoxicillin. Common infections that amoxicillin is used for include infections of the middle ear, tonsils, throat, larynx (laryngitis), bronchi (bronchitis), lungs (pneumonia), urinary tract, and skin. It also is used to treat gonorrhea.
How Taken
For most infections in adults the dosing regimens for amoxil are 250 mg every 8 hours, 500 mg every 8 hours, 500 mg every 12 hours or 875 mg every 12 hours, depending on the type and severity of infection.
For the treatment of adults with gonorrhea the dose is 3 g given as one dose.
For most infections, children older than 3 months but less than 40 kg are treated with 25 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours, 20 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours, 40 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 8 hours or 45 mg/kg/day in divided doses every 12 hours depending on type and severity of the infection.
Drug Class and Mechanism
Amoxil is an antibiotic that belongs to a class of antibiotics called penicillins.
These antibiotics all have a similar mechanism of action. They do not kill bacteria, but they stop bacteria from multiplying by preventing bacteria from forming the walls that surround them. The walls are necessary to protect bacteria from their environment and to keep the contents of the bacterial cell together. Bacteria cannot survive without a cell wall.
Amoxil is effective against many different bacteria including H. influenzae, N. gonorrhoea, E. coli, Pneumococci, Streptococci, and certain strains of Staphylococci.
Missed Dose
If you miss a dose, take it as soon as you remember. If it is near the time of the next dose, skip the missed dose and resume your usual dosing schedule. Do not double the dose to catch up.
Storage
Store Amoxil capsules as well as 125 and 250 mg dry powder at or below 20 degrees C (68 degrees F); tablets, chewable tablets, as well as 200 and 400 mg dry powder at or below 25 degrees C(77 degrees F).
Warnings/Precautions
If you have ever had an allergic reaction to another penicillin or to a cephalosporin, do not take Amoxil without first talking to your doctor. Before taking Amoxil, tell your doctor if you have kidney disease, or stomach or intestinal disease. Amoxil is in the FDA pregnancy category B. This means that it is not expected to be harmful to an unborn baby. Amoxil is generally considered to be safe for use during pregnancy. Do not, however, take Amoxil without first talking to your doctor if you are pregnant or could become pregnant during treatment. Amoxil passes into breast milk. Although serious problems have not been reported, rarely, Amoxil may cause a yeast infection, diarrhea, or an allergic reaction in a nursing infant, although no serious harm is expected. Do not take this medication without first talking to your doctor if you are breast-feeding a baby.
Possible Side Effects
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe or bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps during treatment with Amoxil. If you experience any of the following serious side effects, stop taking Amoxil and seek emergency medical attention or contact your doctor immediately: an allergic reaction (shortness of breath; closing of the throat; hives; swelling of the lips, face, or tongue; rash; or fainting); seizures; or unusual bleeding or bruising. Other, less serious side effects may be more likely to occur. Continue to take Amoxil and talk to your doctor if you experience mild nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or abdominal pain, white patches on the tongue (thrush/ yeast infection); itching or discharge of the vagina (vaginal yeast infection); black, "hairy" tongue or sore mouth or tongue. Side effects other than those listed here may also occur. Talk to your doctor about any side effect that seems unusual or that is especially bothersome.
More Information
Contact your doctor immediately if you experience severe or bloody diarrhea and abdominal cramps during treatment with Amoxil. Take all of the Amoxil that has been prescribed for you even if you begin to feel better. Your symptoms may begin to improve before the infection is completely treated. Amoxil may decrease the effectiveness of birth control pills. If you are taking birth control pills, use a second method of birth control while taking Amoxil to ensure protection from unintended pregnancy. |
